According to the story, an inspection of the facility — used to recycle inedible food products into pig and chicken feed — found an air material separator lacking explosion venting, an inadequate housekeeping protocol and collection of dust greater than one-eighth of an inch.

Charles Adkins, OSHA''s regional administrator, said: "There is no excuse for the lack of attention to accumulation of combustible dusts in any mill or grain elevator, especially given our nation''s history of such horrific combustible dust explosions resulting in a high number of employee fatalities."

In addition, the company failed to have proper exit routes and develop a written emergency action plan and was operating an improperly rated powered industrial truck in a hazardous environment, the story stated.

Adkins said: "It is imperative that employers take the necessary steps to eliminate hazards and provide a safe working environment for all their employees to prevent accidents from occurring."

The facility has 15 business days to respond to the citations, the story added.